Builder: all pages

Move and rotate a part

On this page you move and rotate a part with the mouse. You type numbers for an exact position and angle. You also see how Snap puts the part on the grid and into the holes.

The Move arrows on top of the selected part.

Before you start

Snap and the grid

Snap in the Toolbar decides how a part moves. It is on when it is orange. Press it to turn it on or off. Builder remembers your choice in this browser.

Snap on Snap off
The part moves in 2.5 mm steps. The part moves freely.
When a hole of the moving part comes near another hole, the part centers on it (hole magnet). The hole magnet does not work.
Rotating locks to the rotation step (45° by default). Rotating is free.

If you hold Shift while you move or rotate, Snap turns off for that moment.

The thin lines of the grid on the floor are 2.5 mm apart. The thick lines are 10 mm apart. The right end of the status bar below the Scene shows these settings: "2.5mm · 45° snap · 10 mm grid". When Snap is off, it says "snap off · 10 mm grid".

Move a part with the handles

  1. In the Toolbar, press Move (T or M). Three colored arrows appear on the selected part.
  2. Hold the red arrow with the left mouse button and drag it. The part moves along that axis in 2.5 mm steps.
  3. Let go of the mouse button.
  4. To slide the part freely, hold Shift and drag the green arrow. Move arrows on a Structure; the red arrow marked with number 2.

Result: The part stays in its new place. In the Properties panel, the Position (mm) values change.

Rotate a part

  1. In the Toolbar, press Rotate (R). Three colored rings appear around the selected part.
  2. In the Toolbar, in the rotation step list next to Snap, select 90°. The options are 5°, 15°, 30°, 45° and 90°.
  3. Hold the green ring with the left mouse button and drag it. The part turns in 90° steps.
  4. Let go of the mouse button. Rotate rings around a Structure; the step list marked 2, the green ring marked 3.

Result: The part turns around the vertical axis. In the status bar, the rotation step "90°" is highlighted.

The rotation step looks faded while Snap is off, but you can still select it. It takes effect when Snap is turned on. Builder remembers the step you pick in this browser.

Enter the position and angle as numbers

When one part is selected, the Properties panel has the Position (mm) and Rotation (°) fields. Each one has an X, a Y and a Z box. Y is the height.

  1. In the Properties panel, under Position (mm), press the X box.
  2. Type 40. The part moves in the scene as you type.
  3. Press Enter. The value is applied.
  4. Next to the Rotation (°) heading, press the +90° around Y icon. The part turns 90° around the vertical axis. Properties panel; the Position X box marked 1, the +90° around Y icon marked 4.

Result: The part's X position becomes 40 mm and the part makes a quarter turn.

Move several parts together

While several parts are selected, one set of handles appears in the middle of the parts. The selection moves and turns as if it were one solid object.

  1. In the Left panel, select the Parts tab.
  2. Select the "Omni chassis" row. All 68 parts of the robot are selected.
  3. In the Toolbar, press Move (T).
  4. Drag the blue arrow of the handles in the middle of the parts. The whole Omni chassis selected; the move handles in the middle marked with number 4.

Result: All the parts of the chassis slide together and keep the same distance between them.

If the selection has a hidden part, the handles do not appear. First show the hidden parts or take them out of the selection (see Select, hide and delete parts).

Having trouble?

Next step

← PreviousSelect, hide and delete parts Next →Mate parts by their holes
On this page
Before you startSnap and the gridMove a part with the handlesRotate a partEnter the position and angle as numbersMove several parts togetherHaving trouble?Next step